Questions about the tdap vaccine

I've spoken to my midwife and OB about getting the dtap vaccine while pregnant. They recommended I get it but this is the first pregnancy they have. Also I know my hospital offers it after I have the baby.

I just have so many questions and I asked my midwife and I google and google but no one is giving me the answers I'm looking for so I'm hoping maybe you ladies can help if you have the answer.

Also let me state, my children and my husband and I are fully vaccinated and at the very least I will get the dtap in the hospital and I nurse exclusively so I know the baby will get some of Antibodies but my concerns are getting the shot pregnant.

For one, how do we know the baby won't react negatively? If people can have allergic reactions I assume a fetus can as well and how would I ever know until it was too late?

If this vaccine is so important why isn't it given at birth like hep B but instead at 2 months?

Just had my vaccine a few hours ago. I guess at first I was thinking of the controversy, but then the doctor told me that 14 healthy babies they delivered this year died of Pertusis. I then quickly became a fan.

There have been a lot of helpful threads on here with information about getting dtap while pregnant. I got mine last month at 31 weeks and all went well. I even made sure to rub the injection site a lot to prevent it from getting sore.

From what I understand based on research I did, the dtap they give you while pregnant does not contain a live virus, but bacteria that triggers your immune system to make the antibodies against whooping cough, etc. and in theory, pass those antibodies along to baby.

If someone more scientific than me sees this, maybe they can help explain better.

My husband got his dtap shot this morning and my parents, sister & in-laws have appointments for next week to get theirs. Pertusis is not something I'm willing to mess around with.

--

Zachary Louis, born June 13 at 39 weeks, 6 days & Alexander Thomas, born February 9 at 40 weeks, 5 days!

The baby doesn't mount enough of an immune response to the DTaP vaccine if given at birth. After lots of years of research, scientists determined the currently recommended DTaP vaccine schedule. It is based on getting the best and most long-lived immunity as soon as possible (so babies can be protected as early as possible).

There's not a chance that the baby would react adversely to your Tdap shot, as it's only the immunity (antibodies) that cross the placenta, not the other components of the vaccine. There's an almost zero risk of you reacting adversely (assuming you've had Tdap vaccine before, or other DTaP/DTP vaccines), as you would have likely reacted adversely previously.

A baby's immune system is not fully developed at birth. It starts to develop at approximately 2 months which is why the first of the DTAP series starts at 2 months. If DTAP were given at birth, it world be a waste of a shot as the body cant start to build an immune response at that stage. The ACIP recommends the cocooning strategy to protect the child by immunizing the adults who will be around the child with the TDAP vaccine until the series begins for baby. The antibodies in our adult bodies take about 2 weeks to fully develop and provide us with protection (something to keep in mind when considering when to get the shot) 30% of pertussis transmission cases are linked to infected mothers passing the illness to the baby, which is why is SUPER important we get immunized before leaving the hospital at the latest.

Since research is new and limited, I am choosing to wait until the baby is born for me to receive the vaccine. My husband and close family members are being vaccinated during my pregnancy. We are choosing an alternative schedule and have no plans to expose our baby to crowded public places in the first few months of life. I know a lot of pregnant women are getting the shot right now and if that works for their family, great! However, I am more cautious and happy to wait!

The baby doesn't mount enough of an immune response to the DTaP vaccine i...

Posted
05/03/2014

The baby doesn't mount enough of an immune response to the DTaP vaccine if given at birth. After lots of years of research, scientists determined the currently recommended DTaP vaccine schedule. It is based on getting the best and most long-lived immunity as soon as possible (so babies can be protected as early as possible).

There's not a chance that the baby would react adversely to your Tdap shot, as it's only the immunity (antibodies) that cross the placenta, not the other components of the vaccine. There's an almost zero risk of you reacting adversely (assuming you've had Tdap vaccine before, or other DTaP/DTP vaccines), as you would have likely reacted adversely previously.

Hope that helps

^^ this

--

married since 2006, mom to DS since 4/10/10, expecting our DD 6/7/2014

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